Entries by stjohn

FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION

These two photographs, placed side by side, tell a story far beyond what the eye can see. One, nearly a century old, captures my grandfather, Jirayr Parsamyan (third from the left), standing with his friends—survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Though they had lost so much, they never lost their faith. The other photograph? It shows me standing in the very same place where I was ordained first as a priest, and later as a bishop. Together, these images witness God’s unwavering hand, faithfully guiding our family through the generations.

My grandfather was forced to flee his homeland, Western Armenia, because of the first genocide of the 20th century perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey from 1915 to 1923. He walked through suffering, through hardship…

TREATY OF MOSCOW

The Treaty of Moscow was signed between Soviet Russia and Kemalist Turkey on March 16, 1921. The Russian side yielded to most Turkish demands, and signed a document that was utterly damaging to Armenia for the sake of Russian-Turkish “friendship and brotherhood.”

The treaty was the outcome of the second Russian-Turkish conference, held in Moscow from February 26-March 16, 1921, with the participation of two Russian (Georgi Chicherin, the Commissar of Foreign Affairs, and Jelal Korkmasov) and three Turkish representatives (Yusuf Kemal bey, Riza Nur bey, and Ali Fuad pasha). Stalin, the Commissar of Nationalities, lobbied against any claim from Turkey that could put the Russian-Turkish alliance in risk. In a letter to Lenin on February 12, 1921, he had written: “I just learned yesterday that Chicherin really sent a stupid (and provocative) demand to the Turks to clean Van, Mush, and Bitlis (Turkish provinces with enormous Turkish supremacy) to the benefit of Armenians.

OUR FUTURE IS IN GOOD HANDS

Yesterday, I had the joy and privilege of spending time with the bright and dedicated students of Gevorgyan and Vazgenyan Seminaries who are preparing to serve Christ and His Armenian Church. Walking through the halls of this sacred institution, I was reminded of my own seminary days—the long hours of study, the deep theological discussions, and the fervent prayers that shaped my journey.

Meeting these young seminarians, I saw the next generation of leaders, young men who have answered God’s call, and who have stepped into their divine assignment. They could be anywhere, doing anything, but they have chosen to dedicate their lives to something greater than themselves. They are preparing to bring hope, healing, and truth to a world that desperately needs it!

ST. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM

On the second Saturday in Great Lent (Poon Paregentan) the Armenian Church commemorates St. Cyril (315-386) of Jerusalem, a doctor of the church. St. Cyril had a pleasant and conciliatory disposition, but he lived at a time when bishops were embroiled in bitter controversies and were quick to condemn any attempts at compromises, even calling such attempts as treason…

THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

I was just fourteen years old when I first stood on the altar of St. Sarkis Church in Yerevan, wearing a robe that felt too big for my shoulders but a heart that burned with a calling I didn’t yet fully understand. I remember the scent of the incense, the flickering candlelight, and the way my voice trembled as I joined in the hymns. In those moments, I had no idea where God would take me.

Years have passed since that day. Life has taken me across continents, through trials and triumphs, through moments of doubt and seasons of great faith. And now, I find myself back in that same sacred space—not as the young altar boy, but as a bishop—I kneel once more before the same altar and worship the same faithful God.

THE MOTHER WHO HEALS AND UNITES

This morning, I woke up to the sound of the bells of Holy Etchmiadzin. I arrived at the Mother See last night for the Supreme Spiritual Council meeting. As the bells chimed, I felt the weight of centuries in their echoes. These bells proclaim the endurance of a people, the unbroken faith of a nation. This is where you realize that faith isn’t just an idea; it’s living, breathing, and holding us together like a mother embracing her children.

Etchmiadzin, this holy sanctuary, has been the soul of our people. She has stood steadfast through the storms of history, watching over her children who have lived through the centuries with many pains and only little joys. She has witnessed our triumphs, but more often, she has wept with us in our suffering. And yet, she has never abandoned her children.

DEATH OF PATRIARCH SHNORK KALOUSTIAN

Archbishop Shnork Kaloustian was a prolific and active leader of the Armenian Church, who served in different capacities from Jerusalem to America to Istanbul, where he was the 82th Armenian Patriarch of Turkey for the last 29 years of his life.

Arshag Kaloustian was born on September 27, 1913, in the village of Ighdel, in the region of Yozgat. His father was a victim of the genocide and most of his siblings also died in the period 1915–1923. Little Arshag changed various orphanages in the years 1922-1927, from the former American college of Talas (Kayseri) to the American orphanages of Nahr Ibrahim in Lebanon and of Nazaret in Palestine.

WALKING THE STRAIGHT PATH OF FAITH

I heard about two boys who were playing in the snow. They decided to have a little competition to see who could walk the straightest line. One boy kept stopping, turning back to check his path. But the other boy never looked back. He locked his gaze on a tree in the distance and walked straight toward it. When they reached the end, the first boy’s line was perfectly straight. The second boy’s path was all over the place. He asked, “How did you do that?” His friend said, “I didn’t look back. I kept my eyes on the tree.”

That’s a picture of how we are to walk in faith. Some people start out strong, but along the way, they get distracted. They start looking back at past mistakes, past hurts, and past regrets. They keep questioning, “Am I on the right path? Did I make the right decisions?”

ST THEODORE THE WARRIOR

St. Theodoros the Captain is a Saint recognized by all traditional churches of Christendom. The Armenian Church commemorates this Saint on the first Saturday during the period of Great Lent.

EVE OF GREAT LENT

Poon Paregentan is the last Sunday preceding the six-week, forty-day period of Great Lent. It falls seven weeks prior to the Resurrection (Easter Sunday) and, along with the Feast of the Resurrection (Easter), is a moveable feast within an interval of thirty-five days between February 1 and March 7.

The theme of Poon Paregentan is recalling man’s life of perfect harmony with God in the Garden of Eden before his fall from Grace. The hymns and odes of the day recall the story of God creating mankind in His image and likeness, placing man sinless in a bountiful garden paradise and allowing him to share in His divinity. The Lenten period of strict fasting, penance and reconciliation ultimately prepares us for Easter—the Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.